Tanjung Priok rights trial kick off<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Eleven active military personnel were formally charged with
\ncrimes against humanity on Monday for their role in the bloody
\nTanjung Priok massacre in 1984.<\/p>\n
Jakarta ad hoc rights tribunal prosecutor Widodo Supriady
\naccused the 11 soldiers of opening fire on a crowd of Muslim
\nprotesters in front of the North Jakarta Police station on the
\nnight of Sept. 12, 1984.<\/p>\n
The Army personnel are, Capt. Sutrisno Mascung, Chief Corp.
\nAsrori, Chief Corp. Siswoyo, Sgt. Maj. Abdul Halim, Second Lt.
\nZulfata, Sgt. Maj. Sumitro, Chief Sgt. Sofyan Hadi, Chief Corp.
\nPrayogi, Chief Corp. Winarko, Chief Corp. Idrus, and Second Sgt.
\nMuhson.<\/p>\n
Siswoyo was absent from the trial due to a severe kidney
\nailment.<\/p>\n
The soldiers were part of a group of 13 soldiers led by Capt.
\nSutrisno Mascung, then commander of Platoon III of the Air
\nDefense Artillery Battalion based in North Jakarta. The other two
\nsoldiers, Parno and Kartidjo, are still at large.<\/p>\n
The number of people killed in the massacre varies. The
\nNational Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) puts the death
\ntoll at 33, but military authorities said only nine people were
\nkilled. Families of the victims, however, claim that almost 400
\nMuslim protesters were killed during the incident.<\/p>\n
According to the prosecutor's charges, at least 14 people were
\nkilled and 11 others injured in the incident, believed to be one
\nof the bloodiest individual acts of civilian suppression during
\nthe 32-year iron-fisted rule of former dictator Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Upon hearing the indictment, Sutrisno told the judges that the
\nsoldiers were not guilty. "On behalf of my colleagues, the
\nindictment is not true. I object to the indictment," he said.<\/p>\n
Under the Human Rights Law No. 26\/2000, the soldiers face a
\nminimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of death penalty if
\nfound guilty.<\/p>\n
The Tanjung Priok rights tribunal is the second major attempt
\nby Indonesia to bring to justice military personnel responsible
\nfor past human rights abuses, after the landmark human rights
\ntrial on East Timor.<\/p>\n
In the East Timor trial, which failed to impress both domestic
\nrights activists and the international community, 18 military and
\npolice personnel as well as civilian leaders were brought to
\ncourt for failing to prevent gross rights abuses ahead of,
\nduring, and after the United Nations-sponsored referendum in the
\nformer Portuguese colony in 1999.<\/p>\n
However, twelve of the 18 defendants, mostly military and
\npolice personnel, were acquitted.<\/p>\n
But even those sentenced to jail, including former military
\ncommander overseeing East Timor Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri, remain
\nfree pending appeal.<\/p>\n
Public skepticism is also high in the Tanjung Priok trial as
\nsome high-ranking military officers responsible for Jakarta and
\nthe military at the time -- particular former Jakarta military
\ncommander Gen. Try Sutrisno and former Military Commander Gen.
\nL.B. Moerdani -- were absent from the list of suspects.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM recommended 23 officers, including Maj. Gen.
\nSriyanto and two retired military generals, Maj. (ret) Pranowo
\nand Maj. Gen. (ret) Rudolf Butar-Butar, be charged over the
\nkillings.<\/p>\n
During the trial, the defendants, who were wearing Army
\nuniforms, sat before the panel of five judges presided over by
\nJudge Andi Samsan Nganro. All of the soldiers were in their 40s.
\nThe court room was packed with dozens of fellow soldiers and the
\nfamilies of the victims.<\/p>\n
The trial was adjourned to Sept. 29, when the panel of judges
\nwill hear statements from the lawyers of the defendants.<\/p>",
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